alright, i need to introduce someone to computers. that someone just happens to be 80, and she is at a level most of us don't even remember ("what does the shift key do? what is the return key?", and has just been introduced to a mouse) I have tried teaching all I can, but she just doesnt learn that way. she wants a manual. well...i bought her a one of the mac for dummies books, and...it confused her more. any reccomendation on what book i can buy her? (or any other way to help her, for that matter)
The best way for her to learn is by making her own mistakes. If she doesn't understand what the keys on the keyboard are for it sounds like she has never even seen a typewriter (which is hard to believe, but not impossible). I would have thought that a mouse is pretty self explanatory. You push it and the little arrow on the screen moves. I'd take things slow at first. Don't go jumping into Photoshop or even the internet. You need to get this person familiar with interacting with a keyboard and a screen. Perhaps get a couple of simple games going. Get her to type some stuff into text edit, stuff like that, teach her how to edit and save things (very important!) and print things out (if you have a printer). Once she finds her way around the keyboard you can start explaining some of the small programs that come with the mac, quicktime etc and then you can open the door to the internet...scary
